far_landsfandomcom-20200215-history
Alchemy and Potions
Alchemy is a rather common pratice in the Far Lands universe and is - as some may argue - a form of magic. It consists of the combination of herbs, roots, animal secretions and body parts, water and sometimes even minerals to produce Potions, Poisons, Ointments, Oils, etc - all of which have their own unique properties and may vary in strength and possible side effects. Production As explained above, many ingredients and techniques can be employed in order to produce whichever product one desires. Common methods include the use of mortars and pestles to grind ingredients; boiling substances; simple addition of specific liquids such as cow milk or honey to achieve a desired effect; etc. Producing a potion is no easy task, as simple as it seems. It is quite frequent for even novice Herbomancers (who have an extensive knowledge of botany) to over-add or completely forget a specific ingredient, ruining the "batch". The time to concoct a product may vary between a couple of hours to even weeks, depending on how many ingredients are at hand and if catalysts are used, along with the alchemist's knowledge. Side Effects and Overdose Just like any real world drugs, be them illicit or not, excessive use may lead to consequences. Many alchemists report that even consumption of the simplest of potions eventually leads to side effects such as addiction, liver damage, and more. While possible to treat, most users admit a desire to "have another sip" even months after going clean. It is recommended to avoid potion drinking unless necessary, especially if consumed only for recreational use. Potions Potions, as in any fantasy role-playing game, have a multitude of functions - the most famous being healing wounds. In Far Lands, healing potions and the like do exist. However, they come at the cost of being slow acting, addicting to a certain level and even dangerous if consumed in excess. Here are some examples of some common potion recipes found in Azura: (Keep in mind these are not written in stone, and one is free to brew their potions however they want while role-playing) General "Health" Potion The stereotypical health potion is one with a variety of recipes and roots spanning across several cultures, continents, and races. The preparation and delivery of said potions has an almost infinite variety. Some are served in oral tablets, others fluids, some salves applied to the wound, and others as powders. Many of these "potions" exist at various strengths as well. The most iconic and common "Health" potion on Trepheon however is Stekrin's Draught, an orally ingested red fluid. According to legend, Stekrin's Draught was first brewed by Maylif Stekrin, Harrion Fallon's personal alchemist. After surviving the first king's moot, King Fallon would have succumbed to his wounds had it not been for the care of Lady Stekrin. The draught was brewed from a mixture of dried Yarrow Root and Azarian Moss boiled in watered down Hirpar sap. While the original was a very viscous solution that could choke some men, later revisions came to include white Reem Berry juice, which helped reduce viscosity and provided some antibiotic effects. Newest revisions are especially easy to consume thanks to the addition of honeyed mead - such potions are detested by scholars however who note alcohol's property as a blood-thinner. While the variations of the potions have rather noticeable differences in effect, almost all inflict some form of blood clotting. Variations also include antibiotic properties, tissue regeneration in more exotic recipes,etc.. It's been reported that some carnomancers have used a variation of Steckrin's Draught infused with Vitshroom to help heal themselves while injured. Abuse of Stekrin's Draught has lead to the death of many panicked soldiers and adventurers whose blood quite literally came to a halt after drinking too many in too short a period. People suffering from an overdosage will typically find it difficult to move, breathe, and will eventually faint as blood strains to circulate or clots inside the body. This normally gives way to cardiac arrest, and psychosis often ensues as victims struggle to comprehend what is happening. That being said, the psychosis is not chemically induced. The method to counteract the potion is not considered very pleasant either - Alcohol is considered the primary neutralizing agent to Stekrin's Draught, but the amount required to completely neutralize an overdose often leads to alcohol poisoning in humans. Damage to the liver and pancreas are common side-effects of those who survive the purging, and it's still very possible for the brain, heart, and various parts of the cardiovascular system to suffer permanent damage due to unchecked clotting. Despite the myriad negative effects hailing from abuse, soldiers swear by Stekrin's Draught, and many who have undergone severe combat trauma can find themselves addicted to it. Scholars believe the addiction to be a placebo affect attested to extreme trauma in older recipes, however many speculate that newest renditions of Stecklin's Draught is intentionally brewed to be addictive. Vitality & Vigor Potions Methods of extending one's stamina and recovering from fatigue has existed since the beginning of civilization, if not prior. There is no designated "potion" so to speak, with various drinks, tonics, and inhalants used across the world for the purpose of getting that extra kick. That being said, one particularly potent beverage originating from island chains belonging to the now-defunct Shijon Empire. Often referred to colloquially as "Tiger's Blood", the concoction is rather tame compared to other energy alternatives found within various cultures. Tiger's blood is made from Shinjoni Distilled Coffee, mixed with passion fruit and mango extract...And the addition of rather copious amounts of sweetener. The end product has a reddish-orange hue, resembling tiger fur. Although many foreigners simply view Tiger's Blood as an exotic overpriced coffee, they're gravely mistaken, and few ever make that underestimation a second time. Tiger's Blood is a drink often reserved for scribes, scholars, and statesmen whom spend long times at desks handling state affairs for days on end. Drinkers often take anywhere from 12-18 hours to finish sake cups worth of tiger's blood, with sips alone infusing the drinker with "the speed, strength, and focus of a tiger". In reality, Tiger's blood actually serves as a potent stimulant, enough to the point where culturally aware scholars classify it as a potion. Tiger's blood increases cardiovascular activity and metabolism, often helping the sick get over illness much faster. Drinkers also report a "slowed" perception of time and a greater sense of focus. Various academic Counselors and Telemancers have also reported a "repaired" mental state in regular drinkers that originally exhibited a reduction of mental faculty due to age, cranial injury, or overall slowness. That being said, there's a reason very little is given and drunken at a time. Overdosing on Tiger's blood has left even ogres clutching their chest, as the over-stimulation has led to a rather explosive end. People drinking Tiger's Blood in excess (And by excess, more than a few sips within a few hours) often fall into extreme cardiac arrest, and their heart will normally explode. People suffering from non-lethal overdoses tend to also exhibit epileptic symptoms, and extreme anxiety. Many liken Tiger Blood overdose to being shot by an expert electromancer. We question the validity of such statements however, as we have not actively witnessed someone surviving our resident electromancer's bolts. The addiction rates of Tiger's Blood are outstanding as well. Be it for the sweetnes, the slowed sense of time, the energy, or myriad other motivations for drinking it, withdrawal is a very real thing. Addicts often suffer extreme mood swings, bouts of apathy, and bouts of rather extreme anxiety or aggression. An example of such an addict was Ser Charles Sheen, a former lord of Centralia who emigrated to Shijon during the reign of it's empirical years. What was once a wealthy landowner was slain by Ejiki troops who responded to various Hodan reports of a crazed man with a machete screaming relentlessly about Tiger Blood. Milorian Potion A rather complex combination of fungal and animal extracts which has potent infection-fighting abilities. Usually consumed in spoonfulls or applied directly to wounds, this pink-looking antibiotic is expensive to both produce and consume. Vitshroom Potion Derived from the fungi of the same name, this potion is famous for its rather strange blue glow and how frequently it is used by mancers - both in and outside the battlefield. Improves Vitor regeneration. Alchemist's Fire A throwable liquid that immediately turns to fire once it has made contact with oxygen. The flames themselves cannot be quenched by water, and must be suffocated to stop. The flames do not spread, unless more of the liquid is poured. For this potion you will need the following, salt water, a medium sized glass bottle, 2 stalks of dragon’s breath and a vitarelyum mushroom. The creation of this potion is as followed: Take medium sized glass potion bottle and fill it ¼ with ocean salt water, no other water will do. Next, take two dragon’s breath stalks and dry them over a fire. Dry them for about 2 hours until they are crisp. Then crush them using your hands, while wearing protective gear. Do not pull it apart, only crush it. Once you have done so, let it sit for a moment until you smell burning wood. After place it in a mortar and pestle and crush it until only small bits remain. Once you have done so, scoop up the remaining pieces in the mortar using your gloves and place a funnel on the bottle. Rub your hands over the funnel with the residue in your hands, being grinded as it falls. Once all of the dragon’s breath residue has made its way inside. Finally take your vitarelyum mushroom and remove the stalk. And place the mushroom’s head inside a pot and fill the pot with fresh water. Stir the mushroom until it begins to become extremely soft. Take the mushroom out of the pot and begin to press on it, with something under it to catch the liquid. Press until the mushroom loses its blue coloration and you have a small pool of blue liquid in your container. Once you have done so, obtain a cork and be ready to immediately contain the brew. Quickly funnel the blue liquid into the potion and as soon as it turns from blue to orange-red, cork it immediately and make sure no oxygen escapes the bottle. Stir the bottle by the neck until it begins to swirl inside, creating many hot colors. To store, keep the bottle in a room-temperature space. A hot space could make the bottle explode, and a cold place could shatter the potion. To use the potion do not dump it. If the cork is removed the bottle will immediately explode. The bottle is to be thrown at a target. Alchemist's Acid Similar to Alchemist’s Fire, Alchemist’s Acid is a solvent that acts quickly to melt certain materials. It works well against wood, stone, other flora and especially bare skin. Though it has trouble eating away at metal. To create the potion you will need a medium sized glass bottle, 330ml of acid from the spitting weasel plant, a vitarelyum mushroom and a small vial of Orcish Brine. As a reminder, remember to transport the substance in a glass bottle to reduce the chances of an accident. Firstly, take the vitarelyum shroom and begin to cut it into small sections. Next place the pieces in the bottle. After take the acid, and place it in the bottle. The mushroom pieces should begin to dissolve once you have placed them in the acid. If it has not shown any signs, obtain a new one and gather a fresh batch of acid, and start over. Once the mushrooms have dissolved. Add the small vial of orcish brine. At a minimum, you need 3 drops. Once you have placed all the components inside the bottle, immediately cork the bottle. Though it will not explode, it will not mix properly if exposed to oxygen. To use the potion, either pop the cork and dump it or throw it and hope the glass shatters and releases the acidic formula. Gropper Popper This potion isn’t very orthodox when it comes to other potions. You don’t place it in a glass bottle. You make it in the star-head of the gropper plant. An easy way to extract the head from the gropper plant is to use both hands and jerk each of the 5 arms upwards, in a pattern before it comes loose. Once you’ve obtained it. Return to your station and make sure you have the following. The star from a gropper plant, the sticky tar-like substance secreted and a bit of explosive powder from the spore-spreader. To collect the powder you must find a spore spreader that has already released its spores. Take a pinch of the exploding powders residue and take a set of spores and place each in their own glass container. Once you have your exploding powder and the spores, take the star and open the smallmouth push the teeth like mandibles back to make room. Firstly, place the powder inside. Then take the spores and the tar. Place the spores on the powder then immediately place the black tar onto the mixture. Once you’ve done that, in quick succession, flick each of the 5 teeth on the star. This is will trigger it to shut its mouth, allowing the explosion to be stilled. To activate it, place smoke at the star's mouth, to which it will begin to rumble. Once that has been accomplished. Toss the star like a discus in front of the target. If you wish to simply use them as defences. Place them down, and if someone does step it in, the star will explode in a mass of black tar. Mih'hrack's Breath The mih’hrack’s breath concoction acts like an escape plan. You can use it in most situations to flee or to distract others. To create the potion, you will require a medium sized glass bottle, half a stalk of dragon’s breath, 3 stalks from the puff plant and a handful of reptilian scales. Remember when harvesting either, wear protective equipment, such as leather gloves. Firstly, take a pot and place it over a fire. Place the half stalk from the dragon’s breath plant and let it roast. Then move to the 3 stalks of puff plant and begin to slice along the middle. Start at the tip and finish ¼ the way down, we only need the liquid for this step. After use the stalk as a natural funnel and place the liquid into the bottle. Do not dispose of the stalk, have it nearby. Once you have drained all 3 stalks, return to the pot where you were dry roasting the dragon’s breath plant. Use special utensils and pull it out and place it on a board. Obtain a mallet, hammer or any other bludgeoning item and begin to lightly tap along the length of the plant. After doing so, make sure you are wearing your gloves and place your hands on both ends and begin to push in the plant, reducing its size. If you have done everything correctly. The whole half stalk should become a pile of flakes. Shovel the flakes into a container and place them nearby. After, take the reptilian scales and crush them by hand. It would be wise to use smaller scales for this task. Once you have done so, take your pile of flakes and mix them with the scale remnants and mix well for 1 minute. Next, take the mixture and a funnel. Place the funnel on the bottle and begin to slowly add the mixture to the liquid inside the bottle. Once you see smoke beginning to form in the bottle, place a cork into the bottle. Timor Potion A potion created to essentially separate someone from a group of people or to subdue someone. The timor potion is a formula that causes the individual to hallucinate and see things that are not there. The materials needed to make it are the following: A medium sized bottle, a stalk of slant herb, a droom bell, a vitarelyum mushroom, bloody water and a full zarozhar’s dream flower. To start off, take the stalk of slant herb and pick the pods from it. Either slice or peel the pods back and take the small studs and place them over a fire to dry. Next, as it is drying, take the droom bell and tear off the stalk, do not throw it away. Take the top and place it into a pot. Take the stalk, bite into it and then spit it out into the pot. Place the remaining pieces of the stalk into the pot. Next, begin to pour in the bloodied water, allow it to simmer for 10 seconds before placing the pot over an open fire. Once the water has reached its boiling point, begin to slowly lower the vitarelyum mushroom in. As soon as the head of the mushroom is in, you may simply drop it in the pot. If done correctly, the bloody water, with the vitarelyum mushroom will begin to merge colors and create a shimmering purple. If that is not seen, restart. Next, turn over to your drying studs of slant herb and place them in a mortar, and begin to ground them into a fine powder. Once you have done so, take the bowl and begin to slowly add the powder while stirring. After you’ve done so, begin pouring the formula into the glass bottle. Once the liquid has settled into the bottle. Take the zarozhar’s dream flower and insert it into the bottle without breaking the flowers form. Once the flower is inside place a cork to seal off the bottle. Keep the bottle in a room temperature storage space. If you want to apply the formula, the individual can either ingest it or inject it into their body. Phoenix Ashes The formula is similar to Sterkin’s Draught, but working as a coagulant for wounds and allows the person who took the formula will have their wounds heal much quicker than normal. The potion takes 20 minutes to start the process and the regeneration of tissue is more sped up. To make the potion, you will need the following items: a handful of summer reem berries, a single phoenix wings flower, fresh water, a pinch of sugar and a vitarelyum mushroom. Firstly, begin to boil a pot of freshwater and place a vitarelyum mushroom inside. Once the mushroom has boiled, take it out and squeeze the juice from it into the pot. After squeezing the juice from the shroom out can simply dispose of it. Next, take the reem berries and begin to spread them out along the pot. Then, take the sugar and drop it into the pot. Now, place a cover on the pot and wait for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, take the cover off and gently place the phoenix wings flower inside the pot and allow the formula to absorb the color. Once the potion has a maroon color, that will be the indication that it is done. Keep the potion in a medium glass bottle and keep it corked. Store the potion in a cool area to keep it good for use. Back-Up Plan A quickly made explosive that must only be used as a last resort in situations. Most alchemists only teach this to their apprentices from the apprentice witnessing the explosive being made. The explosive itself cannot blow down walls or doors. It’s meant to do serious harm to single target people, especially with its 3 second detonation time once being activated. To make it, you need the following: A container, shrapnel, spore-spreader residue and spore-spreader spores. Place the residue into your container and immediately place the shrapnel on top. Next, begin to close the container and just as you are about to, drop the spores inside, close it and throw the container immediately at the target. Holding onto it may result in losing a few fingers.Category:Magic